1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to a photoelectric conversion device in which a number of semiconductor elements are sequentially arranged on a substrate in side-by-side relation and connected in series. The invention also pertains to a method for the manufacture of such a photoelectric conversion device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,096 a photoelectric conversion device of the type wherein a plurality n (n being an integer greater than one) of semiconductor elements U.sub.i to U.sub.n are sequentially formed side by side on a substrate having an insulating surface and are connected in series one to another. According to this semiconductor photoelectric conversion device, the semiconductor element U.sub.i (i=1, 2, . . . n) has a first electrode E.sub.i formed on the substrate, a non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member Q.sub.1 formed on the first electrode E.sub.i to form at least one semiconductor junction and a second electrode F.sub.i formed on the non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member Q.sub.i in opposing relation to the first electrode E.sub.i. The second electrode F.sub.j+1 of the semiconductor element U.sub.j+1 (j=1, 2, . . . (n-1)) is coupled with the first electrode E.sub.j of the semiconductor element U.sub.j through an extension K.sub.j of the second electrode F.sub.j+1.
In the abovesaid conventional device the region of the second electrode F.sub.1 opposite to the first electrode E.sub.1 is used as a first external connection terminal. With such an arrangement, since the semiconductor element U.sub.1 underlies the first external connection terminal, it is likely that the semiconductor element U.sub.1 is damaged by the force or heat used for connecting an external load circuit to the first external connection terminal.
Further, in the abovesaid prior art device, the side of the first electrode E.sub.n opposite to the side of the second electrode F.sub.n is used as a second external connection terminal. Also it shown that the outer side portions of the non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member Q.sub.n and the second electrode E.sub.n are removed to expose the outer side of the first electrode E.sub.n as the second external connection terminal. With such an arrangement, too, however, it is unavoidable that the semiconductor element U.sub.n be damaged when an external ciruit is connected to the second external connection terminal. Accordingly, the photoelectric conversion device of the above-mentioned U.S. patent is defective in that it is difficult to connect the first and second external connection terminals with external load circuits.